The Hardest Thing
by Paris Marriott
Summary: A songfic about what happens when you must give up the one you love for the one you are obligated to be with---VinceGretchen


A/N: heard this song, and yet another songfic was born. Enjoy!  
  
We both know that I shouldn't be here  
This is wrong  
And baby it's killing me  
It's killing you  
But both of us trying to be strong  
I've got somewhere else to be  
Promises to keep  
Someone else who loves me  
And trusted me fast asleep  
I've made up my mind  
There is no turning back  
She's been good to me  
And she deserves better than that  
  
Vince LaSalle took a deep breath, dreading the words that were about  
to leave his mouth. For the past six months, he had been carrying on a  
romantic relationship with an old friend of his, Gretchen Grundler.  
Everything had been great-the dates were fun and their endless nights of  
passion had been mind blowing. He loved her with all his heart and wished  
he could spend the rest of his life with her. However, there was one  
problem. For three years, Vince had been married to Ashley Boulet and she  
was beginning to have suspicions about the affair. He knew the right thing  
to do, although he was going to end up hurting the one woman he truly  
loved, the woman he wished he could have married. However, he knew Ashley  
needed him---she was pregnant with his child and treated him like royalty.  
Vince touched Gretchen's cheek gently and noticed the look of hope in her  
eyes. He knew she was waiting for a marriage proposal; to her, they were a  
real couple---she had no idea he was even married. He sighed. This was  
going to be harder than he thought.  
  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to do  
To look you in the eye  
And tell you I don't love you  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to lie  
To show no emotion  
When you start to cry  
I can't let you see  
What you mean to me  
When my hands are tied  
And my hearts not free  
We're not meant to be  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to do  
To turn around and walk away  
Pretending I don't love you  
  
"Gretchen, I can't be with you anymore. Our relationship has to end."  
Vince said, hoping that if he was blunt, the breakup would hurt less and he  
would feel less guilty about it.  
  
"But, why Vince?" Gretchen asked, feeling hurt. She loved him since  
elementary school, and six months ago they had been reunited at the wedding  
of their two childhood friends, TJ Detweiler and Ashley Spinelli. They had  
both gone alone (Ashley was ill at the time) and connected on a new level  
that led to their wonderful, passionate relationship. So why was he ending  
it?  
  
"The truth is, Gretchen, I just don't love you like that. I mean we  
had fun and the sex was great and all, but the love part just isn't there.  
I'm sorry babe." His cruel words hit Gretchen like a punch in the stomach  
and she began to cry.  
  
"But Vince, why? Why are you doing this to me? I thought you loved  
me!" she blubbered, unable to hide her sadness.  
  
"Suck it up, it's over," Vince laughed cruelly, although it was  
killing him inside that he was hurting her so badly. But he had to do it;  
he was a married man and had a baby on the way. Continuing the affair would  
only make things more complicated. "Now I have to go. Goodbye." Vince  
turned on his heel and left a very hurt and upset Gretchen crying on the  
playground.  
  
I know we'll meet again  
Fate has a place and time  
So you can get on with your life  
I've got to be cruel to be kind  
Like Doctor Zhivago  
All my love I'll be sending  
And you'll never know  
'Cause there can be no happy ending  
  
Six months later both Gretchen and Vince were still thinking about  
each other and wishing that they were still together. They both wished  
that fate would bring them back together but they knew there was no chance  
of a happy reunion occurring anytime soon. Vince was now a father to his  
son Ashton, but he still kept a picture of Gretchen in his personal files  
at work, still upset over the way he had ended things. Although he knew he  
had done the right thing, he still loved her and prayed every night that  
she would forgive him and realize how he felt. Gretchen had done the same  
but before long, she had given up any hope of ever having the happy ending  
she wanted with her one true love.  
  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to do  
To look you in the eye  
And tell you I don't love you  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to lie  
To show no emotion  
When you start to cry  
I can't let you see  
What you mean to me  
When my hands are tied  
And my hearts not free  
We're not meant to be  
It's the hardest thing  
I'll ever have to do  
To turn around and walk away  
Pretending I don't love you  
Maybe another time, another day  
As much as I want to I can't stay  
I've made up my mind  
There's no turning back  
She's been good to be  
And she deserves better than that  
  
For months, even years after that night, Vince still dreamed about  
Gretchen and felt guilty about the way things were between them. They had  
seen each other twice, once at Gus's wedding to Cornchip Girl, and then at  
the christening of TJ and Spinelli's daughter, Brooke. They both acted  
civil toward each other, but the pain and hurt still remained. It took  
every once of willpower for Vince not to run up to Gretchen and apologize,  
to let her know how much he loved her and wanted to be with her. Pretending  
that he didn't love her was difficult, but he was a married man-married to  
a woman who worshipped him, but one he didn't truly love. Gretchen was the  
woman he loved, and yet he couldn't have her. He only hoped that one day  
their paths would cross again and that the circumstances would be different  
so he could finally be with the one woman that truly made him happy. He  
only hoped that day would come and not be just another dream that wouldn't  
come true.  
  
A/N hope you liked that---please r/r, but if you can't say something nice,  
don't say it at all---happy reading! 


End file.
